Tag Archive
42 articles on photogrammetry. Field-tested methodology from a GIS scientist with M.S. GIS, FAA Part 107, and 10+ years of geospatial work.
Aggregate stockpiles are textured and outdoor — where peer-reviewed photogrammetry studies landed within 0.7–1.1% of a GNSS reference volume. When the LiDAR premium isn't earning its keep.
WebODM 3.3.0 adds Gaussian splat viewing and automatic datum grid downloads. COLMAP 4.2.0 reworks the global mapper, and 4.2.1 already patches it.
Rent a 64 GB cloud server for about $0.13/hour. Launch an AWS EC2 spot instance, install WebODM 3.3.0, and process 500 images for under $1 before downloads.
Doming is the textbook anti-photogrammetry argument. James & Robson 2014 and the oblique-imagery fix show it's a planning problem, not an inherent SfM ceiling.
Match AWS EC2 instances to your WebODM image count. RAM is the binding constraint, not CPU. ClusterODX sizing, spot vs on-demand, GPU realities.
Organize drone images in S3 for WebODM: folder structure, presigned URLs for client delivery, lifecycle policies to control storage costs. CLI included.
Part 107 authorizes you to fly. It does not authorize you to survey. Where the line is, how states draw it, and how to operate legally in the gray zone.
WebODM 3.2.8 adds DXF export for permanent overlays. OpenDroneMap's ODM 3.6.2 fixes a bug that could silently drop GPS telemetry. Two separate projects, same day: what shipped.
Build georeferenced NeRFs from drone imagery: RTK/PPK integration, COLMAP geo-registration, Nerfstudio, point cloud export, checkpoint validation.
How to pull the bare earth out of a 50-million-point drone photogrammetry cloud. The three tools compared: algorithm, workflow, cost, failure modes, and which one to pick.
Every WebODM/ODX processing parameter explained: feature-quality, pc-quality, matcher-type, mesh-size, SMRF, orthophoto-resolution. Three usable presets.
WebODM install guide for Windows, Mac, Linux: free installers, Docker setup, first task, hardware requirements, common errors. Free photogrammetry on your hardware.
RMSE drone mapping explained: what the formula means, why vertical is always worse, CE90/LE90 conversions, NSSDA statements, when it's good enough.
Classify drone point clouds into ground/vegetation/buildings with Metashape, LAStools, PDAL, CloudCompare, ArcGIS Pro. Tool decision framework.
A practitioner's guide to Agisoft Metashape processing settings: what each quality slider controls, why the tradeoffs matter, and three presets for real jobs.
Image overlap drone mapping: 75/60 is the floor, not the target. Here's what fails when overlap is wrong and how to set photogrammetry overlap by job type.
WebODM split from OpenDroneMap in April 2026 and now runs its own forked engine stack: ODX, NodeODX, ClusterODX. Which one you actually install, and what to watch for.
Orthomosaic export settings, point cloud formats, DEMs, coordinate systems — and how to package drone deliverables so clients can actually use them.
The drone map doming effect causes systematic elevation errors up to several feet — and the orthomosaic looks fine. Here's how to detect, fix, and prevent it.
The drone mapping quality report looks reassuring — until a client finds 8-inch errors. Learn to read every Pix4D and Metashape number before delivery.
Drone mapping flight parameters: GSD, overlap, altitude, speed. 80% frontal / 70% side minimums, and why 60% frontal overlap is too low for mapping.
GCP residuals measure fit, not accuracy. Drone survey checkpoints provide independent validation. How to set them up in Pix4D, Metashape, WebODM.
Can RealityScan (formerly RealityCapture) run on Linux? Epic's Wine-based CLI build, a script built from Epic's documented commands, and how COLMAP, ODM and Meshroom compare.
3D Gaussian Splatting for drone operators: vs photogrammetry, accuracy benchmarks, software and pricing, hybrid workflow, what it cannot do.
WebODM cloud vs local: AWS spot costs (~$2-5/job), egress surprises, decision framework for when cloud wins vs when your workstation is better.
WebODM and OpenDroneMap are now separate projects. ODX, NodeODX, ClusterODX, ODM and NodeODM explained: what each does, which you need, and how WebODM compares to Pix4D.
NeRF vs photogrammetry for drone mapping: accuracy numbers, output products, georeferencing limits, and a decision framework for when each wins.
Drone processing checklist: CRS setup, alignment QA, GCP integration, checkpoint validation, quality report review. Prevents accuracy failures.
Consumer drone mapping buyer's guide: DJI Mini 4 Pro vs Mini 3 Pro vs Autel Evo Nano+. Accuracy, rolling shutter, GCP needs — field-tested verdicts.
WGS84 vs NAD83, state plane, vertical datums — the CRS settings drone operators get wrong, and how to fix them in Metashape, Pix4D, and ODM.
An orthomosaic is a georeferenced image mosaic built from overlapping drone photos. How photogrammetry creates one, GSD, GeoTIFF vs COG, GIS use.
DSM vs DTM vs DEM for drone operators: definitions, how each is derived from photogrammetry, ground classification, and when each product is required.
LiDAR vs photogrammetry for drone surveys: real accuracy numbers, hardware costs, processing workflows, and a decision framework — when each technology wins, and when it doesn't.
WebODM split from OpenDroneMap on April 6, 2026. What changed and how to migrate: new GitHub URLs, Docker images, the ODX engine, and docs.
Agisoft Metashape vs Pix4D vs WebODM vs RealityScan (formerly RealityCapture): pricing, speed, accuracy and GCP workflow compared for survey work in 2026.
Drone survey accuracy in 2026: ±2–5 cm horizontal, ±3–12 cm vertical. RMSE vs CE90 (horizontal) vs LE90 (vertical) explained, ASPRS classes, 5 report red flags.
RTK vs PPK for drone mapping: same hardware, different timing. Sourced accuracy figures, baseline limits, costs, and a table for when to use each.
How many ground control points does a drone survey need? 5 GCPs for under 5 acres, 8–12 for 50–500. Distribution beats density — and always include independent checkpoints.
PIX4Dmatic 2.0 absorbs PIX4Dsurvey into three tiers. Full comparison vs Metashape and DJI Terra on price, accuracy, GCP workflows, and deliverables.
Drone mapping hardware guide: CPU, GPU, RAM, NVMe requirements for photogrammetry. Workstation builds by project size and processing software.
Drone data explained: imagery, orthomosaics, point clouds, elevation models, 3D meshes. How photogrammetry turns photos into geospatial products.
AeroCartwright: drone mapping education and geospatial tools from a working GIS professional with firefighting, academic, and federal field experience.
Free download: The Complete Drone Mapping Workflow Guide — 30+ pages of field-tested methodology.
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